Framingham-Based Ameresco Reaches Mechanical Completion of Landfill Gas to Renewable Natural Gas Plant in Texas

The press release and photo were submitted to SOURCE via its business wire service

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FRAMINGHAM – Ameresco, Inc, an energy efficiency and renewable energy company,announced this week it has achieved mechanical completion at its McCarty Road landfill gas to renewable natural gas plant located in Houston, Texas. This facility has a gross nameplate in excess of 1.1 million Dekatherms per year and is capable of processing 4,500 scfm of raw landfill gas.

The Ameresco team broke ground on the project in second quarter of 2020 and reached mechanical completion in early December 2020 while successfully navigating the construction challenges and equipment delays associated with a global pandemic and an active hurricane season.

“We are proud of this innovative partnership because it allows us to utilize a natural byproduct of the landfill to create low-carbon transportation fuels and other forms of renewable energy,” said Pete Keller, vice president of recycling and sustainability at Republic Services, which owns and operates McCarty Road Landfill. “Last year, Republic Services set a long-term sustainability goal to send 50 percent more landfill gas to beneficial reuse by 2030. This project not only creates additional clean energy resources in the regional economy, but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps us meet that goal.”

“This complex renewable natural gas facility was swiftly constructed amidst incredibly challenging conditions due to the steadfast execution by the dedicated, on-site Ameresco team and our project partners,” said Mike Bakas, executive vice president of Ameresco. “By leveraging advanced technologies to transform the raw feedstock into a readily available renewable fuel source, clean energy can be made available to further reduce our country’s reliance on fossil fuel. We are fortunate to have partnered with Republic Services on a project that exemplifies the green energy infrastructure of the future.”

This long-term, collaborative partnership will result in a reduction of more than 61,000 tons of CO₂, which is equivalent to 103,000 passenger cars removed from the roads, 58 million gallons of gasoline not combusted or 146,000 acres of pine forest conserved every year over the project life.

“As a leading distributor of sustainable energy solutions, we’re honored to work with Ameresco on the McCarty Road Landfill project, taking gas produced to some of the most forward-thinking organizations throughout the nation,” stated Mike Koel, president of U.S. Gain. “Demand for renewable natural gas from the transportation sector has steadily risen for the past several years and we anticipate this to continue into the future because of the positive impact it offers. Organizations using renewable natural gas reduce transportation-related emissions in support of sustainability goals and lower fuel spend thanks to economic benefits like environmental and tax credits. Despite challenges experienced in 2020, we applaud Ameresco on the progress of this landfill project and look forward to future collaboration.”

The project is expected to reach commercial operations in early 2021.

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Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe. Ameresco’s sustainability services include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.